Items to take to the tax preparer
For many working Americans, April 15 is synonymous with taxes. Whenever taxpayers decide to begin the process of filing their taxes, those who hire professionals to prepare their returns should have the following items ready when visiting their tax preparers.
Personal information
• Social security or tax ID number
• Social security or tax ID number of your spouse, if applicable
• Dates of birth of all dependents
• Social security or tax ID numbers of all dependents
• Last year’s tax return
• Spouse’s tax return from previous year, if filing jointly
Income Information
• W-2 forms from all employers you worked for in the last year
• If you are filing a joint return, W-2 forms from all of your spouse’s employers in the last year
• Information regarding investment income, including proceeds from the sale of bonds or stocks, income from foreign investments, interest income, and/or dividend income
• Income from local and state tax refunds from last year
• Business income and accounting records from businesses individuals own
• Unemployment income
• Rental property income
• Social security benefits
• Proof of miscellaneous income, such as lottery winnings, gambling winnings, etc.
Income adjustments (if applicable)
• Homebuyer tax credit
• Green energy credits
• IRA contributions
• Mortgage interest
• Student loan interest
• Contributions to medical savings accounts
• Self-employed health insurance
• Moving expenses
• Education costs
• Qualified medical expenses
Dependent care (if applicable)
• Education costs
• Childcare costs
• Adoption costs
Charitable contributions (if applicable)
• Charitable donation receipts
Bank information
• Bank account number
• Bank’s routing number
This list is a general list of documents that taxpayers may need to bring when visiting their tax preparers. Individuals who want to be certain they bring all the documents necessary to file their returns should contact their tax preparers in advance of their appointments to determine which documents they will need to make the process go as smoothly as possible.
There are major changes with the 2020 Cares Act credits and deductions for corporations, the self-employed and individuals. It is best to discuss these with your professional tax preparer ahead of time as well.
The message brought to you by Mattern CPA, LLC, Emlenton, PA 16373 / Ph: 724-867-1712